So after asking for critiques on here, breaking my video's down myself, looking at the pictures from the show this past weekend. I jump ahead. And I seem to have stopped closing my hip angle. Yep I do and its driving me MAD. Because I don't know how to fix it. I'm looking at videos and pics from a couple months ago and I don't jump ahead, my position is pretty good. And in pictures from years ago I don't do it. So this is something new to me that I have probably started to do so I can stay with my horse when she's jumping.

This past weekend I was in an eq. Class and did pretty well (not the 2nd ) like before but good. And I have a big medal on sunday and I really need your help on exercises to do to help this. It's a newly developed habit so should be easy enough to change.

I leave for the next show on friday but I was thinking spend one of those basically no stirrups and in 2 point for the whole ride. Any one have any exercises that I can do to help my position to stop jumping ahead and to close my hip angle. I think once I close my hip that will keep my from jumping ahead.

My coach doesnt want me to worry about it but---- I'm in an equitation o/f class. These are the things you worry about.

Riding small grids and gymnastics without stirrups and perhaps reins is even better. As you do the exercise, really concentrate on 1.) waiting for the horse's jump to push you out of the tack, 2.) staying over the middle of the saddle and 3.) feeling your hip move.

Often the release is part of the issue with jumping ahead. If you're tense and your elbow or shoulder is locked, releasing pulls your upper body forward. If your horse is managable, knot your reins and once you have a good approach to the gymnastic, drop the reins and let your arms dangle, or experiment with different hand positions - airplane arms, hands on hips etc. Then do the exercise again with reins and your usual release and see what changes. If the jumping ahead dramatically reappears when you pick your reins back up, do some work on relearning your release - jump through the grid w/o reins again and practice mock releases, learning to move your hand and arm without it pulling your body forward.

If the problem is more a stiff or locked hip, try the rider's push up.

With your instructor or a friend standing at the horse's head, find a good, balanced two point where you can maintain your balance without support from the neck. Make sure you're over the middle of the saddle, with buttocks almost but not quite touching. Then slowly fold your hip until your chest touchs the horse's neck - make sure you keep looking up between the horse's ears so you don't fall forward!

Then, without pushing or balancing on the neck, slowly come back into two point. This is harder that it sounds! Repeat 10 times, focusing on balance and correct position - make sure you're folding the hip and keeping your back flat, not bending at the waist. When you've mastered the exercise at the halt, do it at the walk and trot if your horse is steady enough.

Great idea with the riders push up, my dad has time off so I'll bring him out to help me with this. We don't have grids set up and I don't think my coach will put on up soon. But we do have a tripple I could put it low maybe but it's a. 4 to a 2 and that may be a little too much room. ...

For working on position, my favorite gymnastics are 3 bounces to a one stride to a two stride, with a square oxer for the final element, or 3 bounces to a one stride and back to 3 bounces. I like a series (3-4) of trot poles for the approach, or you use a canter placement rail instead if your horse is very steady in his canter.

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